98 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



the lava has flowed in both directions to the coast. The native ac- 

 count is, that " Peli (the goddess of fire), once resided here ; but 

 became alarmed at the nearness of the sea, and fled over to Hawaii." 

 The approved Geological view of the case, does not much differ; 

 except in regard to the fear of water, for it is not in the power of the 

 ocean to quench the fires of Peli. A native made regular visits to 

 the summit of this mountain, to watch silk-worm eggs; which have 

 been found to "hatch irregularly" in the warm country below. 



On the 19th of March, I landed for the third time on Oahu. The 

 feeling of good will towards the United States, is illustrated by the 

 inquiries of the younger portion of the community, on the approach 

 of a ship of war : " is it French, English, or one of our own ?" 



Residents have assured me, tliat after careful search, no clay suita- 

 ble for the manufacture of pottery has been discovered at the Ha- 

 waiian Islands. This may account for the aboriginal absence of the 

 art; and yet the mineral constituents of the soil, appear to be the 

 same as at the Feejee Islands. 



In person, the Hawaiians, like the New Zealanders, did not appear 

 conspicuously larger than Europeans; and they evidently fell below 

 the stature of the Tongans, Samoans and Taheitians : indeed, resi- 

 dents have informed me, that " they sometimes recognised Taheitians 

 at Honolulu, by the size." The Hawaiian chiefs, however, were 

 almost uniformly large men. The chief women (and this had not 

 been observed at the other groups), were truly remarkable for their 

 large stature; and some of them far exceeded, in this respect, any 

 whom I have seen elsewhere. In the barren portion of the group, I 

 sometimes remarked a complete coincidence between the Hawaiian 

 complexion and the colour of the soil. 



The Hawaiians exhibited fewer external marks of disease, than 

 the other Tropical Polynesians. I saw scarcely an instance of tlie 

 loss of the nose. Q]dematous legs were rare, notwithstanding that 

 the people habitually resort to the water; though less frequently than 

 at some of the southern groups. Ophthalmia and humpbacks, were 

 likewise rare. Hip-joint disease, was stated to occur only among 

 boys. Cases of mental alienation, were sometimes met with; and the 

 malady had caused one individual to build some monuments that 

 might have perplexed the antiquary. Another lunatic was a subject 

 of dread to our native guides, and indeed, was hardly in a fit state to 

 be left at large. Pulmonary complaints were observed in the humid 

 climate of Hilo. The natives uniformly attribute the introduction of 



